If you ever happen to pass by fresh shavings beneath a tree, take a closer look.
Gently poke through the wood chips and you may find woodpecker scat. Such was the case under a Big-toothed Aspen (Populus grandidentata) recently worked on by a Pileated Woodpecker (Drycopus pileatus),
I recommend that you wear gloves, or use a turned-inside-out baggie to protect yourself from exposure to pathogens.
Look closer at the scat and you'll likely find that it's textured by exoskeletons of the ants which are the Pileated's favorite prey.
Pileated Woodpeckers excavations are obvious - long and rectangular. Pileated woodpeckers are large birds that require large trees - conifers or broad-leaf flowering species - in which to dig their holes. Large sized Big-toothed Aspen are common in late-stage Early Successional Forests, and the Pileated Woodpecker is a common visitor in search of its dinner.
